Free Ride

Players act as railway entrepreneurs building lines across a map of 45 European cities at the turn of the 20th century, connecting destinations influenced by Art Nouveau and Historicism. On a player’s turn they draft travel-route cards, lay track that becomes either their own, another player’s, or state-owned, and move passengers along routes. Traveling on one’s own or state-owned lines is free; using a rival’s line costs 1 coin and converts that line to state ownership. Coins are scarce, so players balance building, converting opponents’ lines, and completing routes. The game ends when all players withdraw; scoring awards points for coins and collected city cards. A solo variant adds a higher-difficulty challenge.

Players: 1–5 best 4
Playing time: 50–90 min
Age: 10+
Complexity: 2.5 / 5